The Masquerade Ball
by yure-chan
Summary: There's something magical about the masquerade ball and Iruka wants to attend it with someone he likes.But he is harassed by people who wants to go with him. Tsunade assigned him an escort to put a stop to it.Will Iruka get to keep the magic this year?
1. Chapter 1: The Agony

A/N: I've always thought about the magic about the Masquerade and I thought I would just write one about it. Review and let me know what you think.

**Disclaimer: Naruto and all related characters does not belong to me.**

Chapter 1 - The Agony

Iruka stood outside the Hokage's office, wondering if he should actually go in. Who knows, maybe the Hokage may find it a joke instead and laugh at him for not being able to take care of himself. But if he doesn't find some form of solution, he wasn't sure how long he could last out.

He sighed exasperatedly as he recalled the events for the past few days.

* * *

_Flashback_

_Day1_

Iruka stepped into his classroom in shock. There on his table was overflowed with flowers, chocolates, gifts, cards and notes. He did a mental check. _'It's not Valentine's yet. Neither is it Christmas or any other festivals. So what they hell are all these for?'_

He gingerly reached for a card on top of a box of chocolate and opened it. It read _'Dear Iruka, I would love it very much if you could be my date for the Masquerade Ball.'_ Iruka snapped the card close in shock as it dawned on him. The once a year Masquerade Ball was coming up and it was one big party of the year that all shinobis look forward to. There's free booze, food, games, music and the ultimate time for them to relax. _'Are all these cards and notes and gifts meant to ask for me to be their date?'_

He gulped and reached out for another card. It was phrase differently. But the content was more or less the same. Then he noted something more interesting in this card. Below, it was signed off as…… Genma. Iruka gulped again.

Iruka stumbled towards the mission room, tired to the bones after having to teach a bunch of pre genins for half the day. The classroom had been in a chaos when the kids had seen the chocolates, and Iruka had only been glad enough to give it to them. At least, it helps to clear the pile of mess on his table.

Iruka sighed and slid the mission room's door open. He was barely two steps into the room when he paused and gaped.

There on his table, was the same pile of mess that had been left on his classroom table that morning. He felt a sense of foreboding as he looked at the various notes and cards sticking out from under the gifts and flowers.

"Na, Iruka, you are pretty popular, aren't you?" He heard Kotetsu smirked. But he was too drained to even glare at him.

"What the hell is this?" He managed to gasp out as he turned to look at Kotetsu. The other man shrugged.

"When I came in, there was already a pile there. And then, there were more people coming in to add on to the pile."

Iruka felt his head spinning. "Kotetsu, I'm feeling pretty sick. I'm going to take the day off." With that, he stumbled out of the room. Kotetsu watched in surprise and amusement as his friend walked away.

'_What's with him? It's only a bunch of gifts.'_

* * *

_Day 2_

Iruka worked intently at the mission room, cursing under his breath about unstable jounins and chunins who had been affected by their craziness. That morning while teaching, Anko had popped into his room and groped him openly in front of his students. He had blushed and shouted at Anko to get the hell out of his class. Anko had only grinned and left him an invitation to the ball before she disappeared.

Thinking that was the end, he continued with his teaching after calming himself down. But then some other chunins and jounins had appeared with the same invitation that he was practically drained just trying to get them to stop disrupting the class. In the end, he had to place a restriction jutsu at the doors and windows to prevent anyone else from entering.

And now, in the mission room, Iruka tried to focus on the mission scroll in front of him as jounins and chunins stood around the room. Some of them looked at him longingly while others lewdly. Iruka mentally let out a frustrated sigh before he looked up at the group.

"If you have submitted your mission report, can you just leave the room? You are bothering with our work and the others can't come in and submit their reports because it's so cramped with all of you crowding here." Iruka gritted his teeth as he tried to keep his temper.

"Na, Iruka. Come to the ball with me? I'm sure I can make you happy and satisfied." Genma sauntered up to him and sat on his desk.

"No, Iruka is coming with me." Someone piped from the back of the room. .

"You are all wrong. For someone as youthful and beautiful as Iruka, the only person who can bring him to the youthful ball with the sense of love is the Konoha Noble Green Beast." Iruka groaned at the speech. He knew full well who it was.

"What makes you think he will go with you? He's coming with me." Another voice. And then, the room was suddenly covered with debating voices, some female, and some males. Screeching, shouting, screaming and even the occasional punching. Iruka felt as if he was in the worst nightmare ever.

A vein twitched.

"GET OUT!"

_End of flashback_

* * *


	2. Chapter 2: Help Needed

Chapter 2 - Help Needed

Iruka sighed miserably. He didn't want to think about the incidents in the days after that, because that will only send another wave of shiver down his spine.

"Yo, Iruka-sensei." Iruka jumped at the voice beside him and instinctively reached for his kunai, preparing to stab the next person who's going to bother him. He turned and found himself looking at a masked face, the single visible eye curved in amusement.

Iruka heaved a sigh of relief as he put away his kunai. This person is definitely not one sane jounin. But at least he hadn't been insane enough to come pestering him for nothing. Though in the back of his mind, Iruka wished he had. Going to the ball with the copy nin would definitely be more enjoyable than any of the others.

Iruka mentally slapped himself. _'Now where did that come from?'_

"Hi, Kakashi-sensei." Iruka managed a smile, blushing slightly when he noted their too-close-for-comfort distance. Kakashi looked at him concerned.

"You look tired, Iruka-sensei. Haven't been sleeping well?" Iruka sighed for the _n_th time that day and shook his head dejectedly. Kakashi patted his shoulder sympathetically. Iruka shiver a little at the contact.

"It must be tough teaching those kids isn't it? I can't even handle three of them. But you have to handle a class full of them."

Iruka sighed again. If only Kakashi knew that his source of problems wasn't the kids.

"Are you looking for Tsunade-sama?" Iruka looked up and nodded hesitantly. Then he looked at the jounin.

"You are looking for her too?"

"Yep. I need to make a report for the mission." Kakashi smiled. "But don't worry about it. You go on ahead first. I will come back later. I need to look for someone else first." With that, the older man turned and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Iruka stared for a moment before making his decision.

* * *

Tsunade looked up from her pile of paper works when she heard the knock on her door.

"Come in."

She waited for a moment before the door was pushed open slowly and she found herself looking into the despondent face of her favourite chunin.

"Iruka? What's wrong?"

"Tsunade-sama, do you have some time that I can talk to you?"

Tsunade gestured for Iruka to sit down. Then she pushed her papers aside and waited for the man to speak.

"It's like that, Tsunade-sama. I need a solution for a problem that I am facing."

Tsunade's eyes widened. But she motioned for Iruka to continue.

Iruka bit his bottom lip nervously before he poured out his woes from the past few days to the blond lady in front of him. Tsunade listened in shock, surprise, amusement and annoyance. She made a mental note to send all her jounins and chunins to the psychiatrists for a check.

"And I guess the final straw came when Genma showed up in the middle of last night in my room and tried to tackle me. I only managed to get away when Anko showed up as well and got into a brawl with him." Iruka buried his face into his hands. He had never felt so ridiculous in his life before.

Tsunade folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. "So, why don't you just pick one and I'm sure the rest will leave you alone."

Iruka looked uncertainly at the blond. "I can't." His voice was so soft that Tsunade almost did not hear him.

"Why not?"

"Well, you see, Tsunade-sama, there's an old saying about the Masquerade Ball." Tsunade arched her eyebrow in curiosity as Iruka continued.

"Oh?" Tsunade frowned. She had heard of that, but she didn't pay any heed to it and she can't really recall what it is.

"They say that, whoever you bring to the ball that night and leave with you when the party ends, that person is your destined lover and the two of you will be bound by fate." Iruka felt himself blushed in embarrassment when the older woman tried to stifle her laughter.

"And you believe that?"

"Well, Asuma brought Kurenai to the ball last year and shortly after that, they got together. The year before, Kotetsu and Izumo went together and they are a couple now." Tsunade's eyes widened at that little piece of information. "And before that, during one of our earlier years, Mizuki brought Tsubaki to the ball and they are now engaged."

"But Mizuki is in jail now."

"That's true. But their engagement still stands."

Tsunade sighed as she looked at the forlorn man. "And there's no one that you like enough to bring to the ball?"

"Not exactly. There's someone I would rather go with than all the others." Iruka's mind strayed to the silver-haired jounin and he blushed slightly.

"And who would that be?" Tsunade smirked.

"Erm… Well…" Iruka stammered. "It doesn't matter, Tsunade-sama. Right now, I need a solution to keep my sanity for the next three days before the ball."

Tsunade drummed her fingers against the wooden surface of her desk as her brows knitted together. She thought for a moment before she stood up and leaning over, placed a comforting hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"I will think of something, Iruka. If worse come to worst, I will assign an escort for you. I will send for you when I've got a solution. I'm sure I will have one before the day ends."

Iruka stood up and bowed politely. "Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade watched as the man stuffed his hands into his pocket and walked out the door. She sighed exasperatedly before calling for Shizune.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3: The Perfect Escort

Chapter 3 – The Perfect Escort

"This is a real tricky situation, Tsunade-sama." Shizune frowned as Tsunade explained the case to her.

"I know. That's why I'm asking you in to help me think of a solution to help poor Iruka."

"Assign an escort to protect him?"

Tsunade scowled. "I've thought of that. But I've also thought of all the possibilities. Right now, seventy percent of the shinobis in the village are attempting to take him to the ball. Twenty percent are ANBU, but most of them are out for missions now. The remaining ten percent are the married, the attached, the genins and the god-knows-who."

"I'm sure the genins will gladly protect their sensei. But these genins are no match for jounins like Genma, Gai and Anko. They will be taken down in an instance. And the married like Inoichi, Shikaku, Shibi and Choza. I'm sure they can handle most jounins and chunins. But they have their own things to do, and on top of that, they don't really pose as a threat enough to some insane shinobis."

Shizune nodded in understanding as Tsunade rambled on.

"Asuma would be good enough to face off anyone. But he's on a mission and won't be back till the day after tomorrow. I could well get ANBU to guard him, but I'm sure Iruka would be on the edge the entire time and that's going to affect his work performance. No one sane enough would want ANBU around them." Tsunade slumped back in her seat.

"What about Ibiki-san? I'm sure he poses enough threat to put off anyone." Shizune suggested.

Tsunade glared at her. "And what's the difference in that compared to placing a group of ANBU around Iruka?" The blond propped her chin on her hand as she thought about the entire situation again. "Iruka is the best teacher, chunin and helper that one can ever get. I don't want him to get upset over this thing. If only I know who's the person he would rather go to the ball with."

"There's no point in wondering about the unknown, Tsunade-sama." Shizune frowned and thought for a while before she brightened up.

When she heard the case from Tsunade, this person hadn't been mentioned in any of the harassment cases, neither had he been brought up in any of the situations. And to top it off, this person is revered and feared in the village and in the shinobi world. She smiled.

"You know, Tsunade-sama, I may have the right person in mind." Tsunade looked at her assistant uncertainly and was met with an even wider smile.

"Who is that?" Tsunade frowned. Had she left anyone out?

"Think harder, Tsunade-sama. He's one of your trusted aides and one of the few highly skilled and feared shinobi in our village. And he's well-known in the shinobi world. I'm sure he would be dangerous enough to put anyone off, but relaxed enough to put Iruka at ease."

Tsunade thought for a moment before a small smile formed on her lips.

"Yes. Why didn't I actually think of him? You are right. He may actually be the right person for the job. Call for him at once, Shizune."

* * *

Iruka fidgeted in his seat as Tsunade tapped her table impatiently. Shizune stood at the side, smiling nervously.

"What the hell is taking him so long?"

"Well, when I found him, he was in the midst of a discussion. He said he will be here shortly."

"Then where the hell is he? I don't have the whole day to wait for him to appear." Tsunade growled. Iruka and Shizune flinched.

Then the door opened. "I'm here! Sorry that I'm late. But I'm caught up in a discussion."

Tsunade growled again as the man walked into the room. Then she frowned when she noted a shinobi following the first.

"What are the two of you doing together?"

"We have something to report to you. But before that, why are you looking for me, Tsunade?" The first man snapped.

Tsunade growled again. "I have a mission for you, Jiraiya."

The toad sage frowned. "What mission?"

"Your mission is to be Iruka's escort for the next few days, until the day of the Masquerade Ball." Tsunade stated simply. Jiraiya's jaw almost dropped to the floor as he digests the information. Iruka choked.

"What?!" He leaned forward and glared at the blond. "Are you kidding? I'm one of the sannin. The toad sage. Why do I have to look after a kid for you?"

"Because I don't have anyone else. You are one of the few I can trust to put things right."

Jiraiya frowned and straightened himself. He glanced at the nervous chunin who was sitting at the side of the room. Finally, he sighed.

"Explain the situation, Tsunade."

"Well, for the past few days, Iruka here had been harassed by chunins and jounins of all sorts in an attempt to get him to go to the ball with them. And mind you, when I say jounins, it includes our special jounins like Genma and Anko. And these people are not as easy to handle as the rest. And then there's Gai as well." Tsunade grimaced at the name.

"And as the Hokage, I need to consider my subordinate's well-being and thus, I'm taking on the responsibility to keep Iruka's sanity intact."

Jiraiya stared at his fellow sannin, amusement spreading across his face. "And why me?"

"Well, that's simple. We need someone who can strike fear in other shinobis so that they can keep their hands off Iruka. And this person needs to be strong enough to face off those special jounins alone. Most importantly, this person has to be easy-going enough so that Iruka doesn't need to be on the edge the entire time."

"Ok. But that doesn't explain why you chose me." Jiraiya scowled.

"Jiraiya-sama, you are revered and feared in the shinobi world. And you are one of the few who can really face off several strong opponents on your own." Shizune interrupted before Tsunade snapped at the incessant questionings.

Jiraiya sighed deeply, as he looked over at Iruka sympathetically.

"I would love to help, Tsunade. Especially based on the fact that Iruka is Naruto's favourite sensei." The older man paused for a minute. "But I'm afraid I won't be able to do much."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "And why is that?"

"That's precisely the reason I'm here. We've discovered something and I have plans to head out later to check it out. I won't be around for the next two days." Jiraiya thought for a moment before a smirk formed on his lips. "But I may be able to offer you an alternative."

Tsunade and Iruka perked at the new piece of information. "And what is that? You are not thinking of bringing Iruka with you, are you?"

"Of course not." The sannin waved his hand. "That's too dangerous. What I mean is that, there is someone else, who share the same status as me as a revered and feared shinobi in the shinobi world. And what's more, he's someone you trust as much as you do me."

"And who would that be?" Curiosity got the better of Tsunade.

"Him!" Jiraiya proudly pointed at the shinobi, who had entered the room earlier with him and was now leaning against the wall, listening to the conversation with mild amusement.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4: The Chunin's Amulet

Chapter 4 – The Chunin's Amulet

Kakashi frowned when he noticed the dozens of eyes looking at him. After a while, he decided to ignore them and return to reading his book. Finally, one of them approached him.

"Kakashi, are you here to vie with me in asking Iruka to the ball?" Anko pointed an accusing finger at him.

"No." The copy nin flipped another page of the book and continued reading.

"Then what are you doing here?" Genma asked, a trace of malice in his tone, as he bit his senbon hard, almost breaking it in half.

Kakashi shrugged. "Hokage's orders."

"What?!" A series of disbelieving voices could be heard.

"And what would Hokage-sama order you to stand around here? Come up with a better excuse, would you?" Kakashi turned and looked at the jounin who just spoke to him. He scowled.

"Kakashi, you know that you won't be able to win me in asking Iruka out. After all, you are too socially inept to talk to anyone. Why don't you just give up?" Another remarked.

Kakashi sighed just as the school bell rang, signaling the end of lessons. He closed his book and slipped it into his weapons pouch as he jumped from the low hanging branch he was lounging in.

"Believe what you want." With that, the copy nin waved casually and walked towards the Academy where kids were running out to head for home.

"I'm not going to let him beat me to Iruka!" Anko growled and stormed towards the Academy. She was followed by the rest of the crowd.

Just before they reached the entrance of the Academy, Iruka appeared, with his bag sling across his shoulders. He stared at them for a brief moment before he sighed and walk towards the silver-haired ninja, who was leaning against a wall near the entrance.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kakashi-sensei." Iruka beamed at the older man who greeted him.

"No worries, Iruka-sensei. How about some lunch?" Kakashi noted from the corner of his eyes the deadly glares from the jounins and chunins, but none of them ever made any move forward.

"That sounds good." Iruka said nervously. Apparently, he had sensed the murderous intents too.

"Well, let's go." Before anyone could react, Kakashi wrapped his arms around the chunin's shoulders and transported them away.

* * *

"That was a close one." Iruka laughed as he sank down into the grass, munching the onigiri.

"Well, you seem pretty popular, Iruka-sensei." Kakashi smirked, earning a blush from the chunin.

"They are just plain crazy." The teacher sighed a little. "I haven't had lunch in peace for a while." He popped the remaining onigiri into his mouth and stretched his arms as he lay down on the soft carpet of grass.

Kakashi smiled at the chunin as the breeze blew across the lush green fields. Both of them were silent as they enjoyed the slight moment of peace.

* * *

Kotetsu snickered as he watched another terrified jounin walked out of the room, after a failed attempt to flirt with the academy teacher. Izumo sat beside him, scribbling away on a paper pad.

"That's the twentieth one for the last four hours, Iruka." Izumo tried to stifle his laughter.

"Huh? What?" Iruka looked up from the scroll he was reading and looked at his friend in confusion.

Before Izumo could say anything, another jounin walked into the room and approached Iruka in a flirtatious manner. Then he caught sight of the intense glare of the person sitting behind Iruka. He gulped and back away, muttering something about a last minute mission before hurrying out of the mission room.

Izumo and Kotetsu burst into laughter. Iruka looked at them, wondering what the joke was about.

"Tha… That's… th… the twenty-first." Izumo gasped, consumed by hilarity. When Kotetsu finally got his breath back, he walked over to Iruka.

"Iruka, you got a really good amulet to ward off persistent chunins and jounins." Kotetsu chuckled.

"Amulet?"

"Yeah. Did you even realize that you haven't been disturbed with a single pick-up line since yesterday's afternoon?"

"Well, so what about it?" Iruka narrowed his eyes. Izumo stumbled over, still caught up in his own amusement.

Izumo leaned over and spoke in a low voice. "Every time someone comes in and tries to flirt with you, Kakashi will give them a glare, which sends them running out the door again." Kotetsu burst out laughing again. Iruka blushed.

"Oh my god, this is probably the best amulet one can ever get, especially if you are in desperate need of getting away from insane jounins like Anko." Izumo clutched his sides as he tried to soothe his laughter. "Did you realize that even Genma and Anko don't even step into the mission room anymore? They just linger outside and you should have seen the frown they wore."

"Shut up, both of you. The mission room is going to close soon. We need to finish up everything before then." Iruka shooed the two men away as his blush darkens. He stole a glance at the jounin sitting behind him, who was looking at his two friends with amusement.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5: Intruder

Chapter 5 – Intruder

Iruka managed a smile as Kakashi bade him goodbye. He felt a little awkward having to have the jounin sent him to his doorsteps. He had declined initially, saying that he can take care of himself. But Kakashi just shrugged and said that he can't go against the Hokage's orders.

'_She said that I have to stay with you until you get home to make sure that those insane shinobis don't try anything funny with you.'_ He had said. Iruka can only sighed as the jounin followed him as he went groceries shopping before heading for home.

As he watched the silver-haired man disappeared into the night, he could only shook his head resignedly, and for the first time in his life, felt practically useless and ridiculously like a girl that needs protection from the dangers of the world.

* * *

Kakashi sat on the rooftop, reading his book with the only source of light from the street lamps. He was alert to his surroundings, catching in on every single sound, movement and chakra signals.

He adjusted himself to a more comfortable position as he peered over his book and looked through the window of the opposite apartment. He saw Iruka getting ready for bed.

Kakashi sighed mentally. He had no idea why he was sitting on the roof, watching the academy teacher from a distance, long after he had sent the chunin home. It was true that Tsunade had assigned him to be Iruka's escort and he was to make sure that the relentless jounins and chunins stay away from him. But Tsunade had also said that once Iruka had reached the safety of his home, he was free to go, since she had assigned extra patrols around the area to ensure that no one tries to sneak into Iruka's apartment.

He hadn't been too keen about the idea initially. But he felt a little sorry for the chunin teacher who was staring at him miserably in the Hokage's office when Jiraiya nominated him for the job. When Tsunade had mentioned the two words 'Hokage's orders', which was equivalent to a death sentence, he had seen the chunin's eyes sparkle with hope and then mellowed a little to look at him pleadingly. And he knew his fate was sealed.

Kakashi mused. The last two days with the academy teacher hadn't been too bad. In fact, it had been surprisingly relaxing and enjoyable, though he would not be one to admit it openly. But he had pretty much enjoyed the chunin's presence and companionship, even though it was only because of the mission that they were stuck together.

Before that, they were merely acquaintances, brought together because of their shared apprentice, Naruto. But now, Kakashi was almost certain that they will be able to talk without reservations. He loved the chunin's carefree nature and his sincerity to the people around him. He like it that Iruka love the people around him without hesitations, something that he, the great copy nin, will never be able to achieve. For the first time in his life, Kakashi actually felt at ease around someone.

He bit his lips as he counted down the days. _'One more day to the ball. My mission will end once I have sent him to the party this Saturday.'_ Somehow, he didn't really like the idea of it ending so soon. But oh well, they each have their lives to get on with.

He looked up into the sky and noted that it was already way past midnight. He leaned back on the roof and was about to return to reading his book when he felt a different chakra signal in the vicinity. Sitting up, he looked around like a hawk on the watch, one hand on his weapons pouch, ready to fight if needed. He growled under his breath when he noticed a figure outside Iruka's bedroom window. Then he smirked.

Jumping off the roof in silence, he headed towards the other side of Iruka's apartment. Working fast, he unlatched the window and slipped in with the ease from years of stealth practice. He walked across the living room, barely making a noise and headed towards Iruka's bedroom.

* * *

Iruka woke up with a start when he detected an unfamiliar chakra near him. He jumped when he saw someone perching on the window sill and grinning at him.

"Na, Iruka." Iruka gulped as he grabbed his kunai from the nightstand. He recognized the person on the sill. It was one of those importunate jounin who had been harassing him without fail at every opportunity before the Hokage had assigned Kakashi as his escort.

"Stay away from me." Iruka managed to snap. "What the hell are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

"Ah…… But this is the only time when Hatake is not with you. The patrol guards are easy to put off, but Hatake is a tough pain in the neck." The jounin jumped off the window and landed neatly beside the bed. Iruka fumbled and got out on the other side of the bed, preparing to attack, or flee out of the door behind him if necessary.

The jounin walked around the bed and headed towards Iruka. Iruka took two steps backwards, hands clutching his kunai tightly. The jounin was about to advance forward when he hitched in his steps, eyes wide and staring past the chunin. Before Iruka knew what was happening, the jounin had fled out of the window.

Iruka tensed again when he felt another chakra signal, which was probably the reason why the jounin from before had fled for his life. The chakra was somehow familiar to Iruka, but he couldn't place a finger on it. Cautiously, with his kunai still clutched tightly, he spun around.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6: Stay Over

Chapter 6 : Stay Over

Kakashi leaned against the bedroom door, his visible eye burning with intense. He watched as the jounin scooted out of the window and met Iruka's eyes when the chunin turned around.

"Kakashi?" Iruka gaped in surprise then he relaxed his tensed posture. "I thought you were gone. What are you doing here?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I stayed. I pretty much guessed that they won't give up on you. So I thought I would hang around to make sure that everything is alright."

Iruka frowned as understanding dawned on him. "Where exactly did you stay that I didn't even sense you around?"

Kakashi smiled sheepishly, as he pointed at a spot past the window. Iruka followed the direction his finger and arched an eyebrow.

"You were on the roof the entire night?" Iruka turned back to the copy nin, looking at him suspiciously. "Only tonight? Or last night too?"

Kakashi shrugged again. "Godaime ask me to ensure that you are safe from them. I'm just doing my job. I've never failed in a mission and I don't intend to start now."

"But, it's cold out there. How are you even able to sleep?"

"I don't. Anyway, it's not the first time that I go without sleep for days. I can catch up on it when the mission's over. It's only for another day." Kakashi gave Iruka a cheerful smile.

Iruka stared at the jounin for a while before shaking his head.

"Well, I'm taking my leave now, Iruka-sensei. Good night." Kakashi turned and walked out of the bedroom.

Iruka watched the retreating man for a while. He did not like the idea of having Kakashi out in the cold just to keep a look out for intruders to his apartment, even though he was sure the elite jounin was pretty used to such weather. Then he decided that he should at least do something to show his appreciation.

"Wait, Kakashi-sensei." Kakashi turned slightly and eyed the tanned man inquiringly. Iruka bit at his bottom lip and managed to push down his nervousness to form a coherent sentence.

"If you don't mind, perhaps you would like to crash in on the couch? I think it will be more comfortable for you. I mean……." Kakashi almost chuckled at the nervous man.

"Well, I think that's a pretty good idea. It will be easier to prevent any intruders." Kakashi smiled. Iruka nodded.

"Let me get you a pillow and some blankets."

Kakashi watched as the younger man rummaged through his cupboard and was glad that his mask was in place as the smile on his face grew wider.

* * *

Kakashi woke up when he felt another presence near him. He opened his eyes and the first thing that greeted him was a smiling chunin hovering slightly over him.

"Good morning, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi stretched a little and sat up in the couch. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the sleep that still lingered in it.

"Good morning, Iruka-sensei. That's early of you."

Iruka chuckled as he walked towards the kitchen. "Well, I usually wake up much earlier. But since it's self-study for the kids today and I don't have to be at the academy, I took the opportunity to sleep in a little."

"Well, Kakashi-sensei. Go wash up and I will prepare breakfast. I've prepared the toiletries for you." Iruka pointed to the bathroom with a warm smile.

"Thank you." Kakashi mumbled and headed towards the neatly-kept bathroom as Iruka busied himself with breakfast.

Kakashi came out a while later to the welcoming aroma of freshly cooked breakfast. Iruka was setting the table and waved for Kakashi to join him.

The jounin walked over and took a seat beside the chunin. Breakfast was a silent affair for a while until Kakashi decided to clarify a curiosity which had been burning in him since he started his mission.

"I heard from Tsunade-sama that you actually thought of someone you wanted to go to the ball with." Iruka jolted at that statement as a blush tainted his cheeks. He looked at the masked man beside him hesitantly before lowering his gaze back to his breakfast.

"Well, there was, actually." The blush deepens. Kakashi arched his eyebrow as he watched the chunin and mentally wondered how someone can blush so easily.

"Well, I'm not being nosy. Just curious. Why don't you just ask the person and all your troubles would have ended?" He tugged his mask down to take a mouthful of food and pulled his mask back up as he chomped on the breakfast.

Kakashi watched as the chunin's cheeks turned an even darker shade of red. He had to fight off a sudden urge to reach out and trail his fingers on those scarlet cheeks.

"Well……" Iruka scratched the scar on his nose nervously. "It's just that, I….I don't think he wo… would go. And it's pretty awkward to just breach the topic. I… I don't even know him too well." The younger man stammered. Kakashi was amused. He briefly wondered if it was even possible to blush deeper as he noticed that the other man's face was flushed.

Kakashi decided to spare the chunin of further agony. He dropped the topic and went back to eating his breakfast. But the conversation remained in his head. _'So the person is a guy.'_ Somehow, that thought of Iruka going out with someone else made him uncomfortable.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7: Declaration

A/N: This is a short chapter. But I hope you guys will enjoy reading all the same. Thanks for all the reviews!

Chapter 7 – Declaration

"Oh, young and beautiful Iruka. On this wonderful day, I would like to take the opportunity to invite you to the youthful ball, which is to be held tomorrow night in the most beautiful place in Konoha. Such a place is truly befitting of a youthful person like you. And I will be glad to be your humble follower to escort you to the wonderful night……….."

Iruka stared in shock and blushed as the spandex clad man serenade him in the middle of the streets of Konoha. Kakashi stared at Gai, deadpanned and annoyed to no end.

Iruka had thought that he would be safe with Kakashi around. That is why he had dared to appear on the streets to buy some necessities. But apparently, he had forgotten about the taijutsu master, who had the tendency to challenge Kakashi at every opportunity. And now, he was at it again.

"I see that you are out with my eternal rival. Oh, sweet life. What a perfect opportunity for a beautiful challenge." Gai started. Kakashi flinched. He leaned closer to Iruka and whispered into his ears.

"There's going to be no end to this. I know how to put him off. Just go along with what I'm going to say." Iruka nodded.

"And I would love to challenge you to a competition that is filled with youthful love. And I dare you to accept it. The challenge will be to bring Iruka to the ball tomorrow and bring him on a first date an-"

"Stop that, Gai. Why don't you just give up?" Kakashi scowled.

"No, my eternal rival, let me finish what I want to say." The green clad man was about to continue when Kakashi put up a hand in his face.

"I know very well what you want to say. But get this clear, Iruka is my date for the ball. So I wouldn't exactly like it if you keep harassing him like that." Kakashi stated plaintively.

Gai paused in his statement as he looked from Kakashi to Iruka and back to Kakashi. Iruka was equally shock as he turned to look at the silver-haired man. He had definitely not expected Kakashi to say that.

"Noooo! This can't be true. This is not a fair challenge. Oh, beautiful Iruka, tell me this is not true!" Gai turned to the academy teacher with two streams of tears flowing out of his eyes.

Iruka quickly recovered himself. He cleared his throat as his mind worked to provide an answer.

"Erm… Well, Gai-san. It….It is true." He managed to squeak out, hoping it sound convincing. Murmurs were heard from the crowd who had gathered to watch the commotion. Gai looked at them for a moment more before he went bawling down the streets.

"Well, I guess that did the trick." Kakashi scratched the side of his head, almost awkwardly. Iruka laughed nervously.

"Yeah. I think he will give up at this rate."

"Well, that's good then. Gai is a nice person. But he is also one persistent irritant. If you can get rid of him, the rest will be easy." Kakashi said. "Let's go and buy your stuff." He began to walk down the streets.

Iruka looked at the departing figure for a minute before following him, his gaze trailing on the broad shoulders and strong back. Somehow, he wished that the copy nin would just mean what he said.


	8. Chapter 8: I Wish

Chapter 8 – I Wish

"Stay for dinner?" Iruka glanced at the jounin lounging in his couch. Kakashi looked up from the book he was reading.

"Well, I just wanted to thank you for helping me out for the last few days. I was able to enjoy some moment of peace thanks to you." Iruka continued when the other man made no response. Kakashi's eyes curved up as he returned a smile.

"That would be nice. Thanks."

Iruka nodded slightly and went to the kitchen. He was just taking out the meat from the freezer to thaw when someone knocked on his door.

"I will get it." Kakashi called from the couch and headed towards the door and pulled it open.

"Iruka, I've –" The person paused mid-sentence when she realized that the person who answered the door was not Iruka. Two pairs of eyes stared at the man in shock and surprise.

"Yo, Kurenai, Asuma." Kakashi raised his hand a little as he opened the door wider to let the two guests in.

"Hi Kakashi, surprised to find you here. Where's Iruka?" Kurenai asked as she tried to recover from the shock.

"In the kitchen." Kakashi casually waved. Kurenai headed towards the little corner in the apartment as Kakashi closed the door and walked towards the couch with Asuma.

"Well, Kakashi, how long has it been?" Asuma grinned.

"What?" Kakashi picked up his book and resumed reading.

"Don't fake it. You know what I'm talking about. You and Iruka. Kurenai and I heard in the marketplace that Iruka is going to be your date for the ball tomorrow. Trust you to not tell me about it."

Kakashi groaned inwardly. He guessed he forget that news spread pretty fast in Konoha and the revelation that he had made known to Gai in the afternoon was by now known to every single person in the village.

"Asuma, we are not dating." Kakashi started. Asuma raised an eyebrow.

"Are you trying to push off responsibility here? Look, no one dares to date Iruka now that you have made known to the public that you are bringing him to the ball."

"Are you trying to say that I thwarted all attempts for Iruka to get pick up?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not exactly saying that. But it's more or less on that idea. No one sane enough would want to get involved with you over Iruka."

"Asuma, that was just an attempt to shake Gai off. You should have seen how embarrassed Iruka was when Gai tried to proclaim his love and drag him to the ball." Kakashi went back to reading his book. "And you of all people should know I don't attend social gatherings, much less social functions. That masquerade ball isn't my cup of tea."

"So Iruka is going without a date?"

"He doesn't want to either, I guess. That's why I'm here."

Asuma looked at his friend strangely. "What do you mean?"

"I'm on Hokage's orders to keep teasing chunins and jounins away from Iruka. He's being driven to the edge of sanity with the incessant pestering to take him to the ball."

Asuma nodded in understanding. "Well, Iruka is an attractive individual. I'm not surprised. But aren't you going to go with him after you made that proclamation on the streets?"

"I will just be sending him to the ball tomorrow evening. And that's the end of my mission." Kakashi stated curtly. Asuma just shrugged.

"Well, Kakashi, even if you are not going to come with Iruka as a date, at least make yourself present. Just for this once. You've been working yourself to death. At least come and get a few drinks and relax yourself."

Kakashi scowled. "I'm not going to make an exception this time round."

"Seriously, Kakashi, you've got to take a breather. At least let us catch up over a few glasses of beer. We haven't done that in a while. Just stay for an hour." Asuma gave him a worried look.

Kakashi glanced at his friend in frustration. "Fifteen minutes."

"That's not enough. Forty-five."

"Twenty."

"Half an hour. And that's my last call."

"Fine." Kakashi grimaced. Half an hour at the ball won't kill him. At least he hoped it won't.

* * *

While Asuma and Kakashi conversed in the living room, Kurenai found Iruka in the kitchen, preparing dinner.

"Hi Kurenai." Iruka smiled over his shoulder as he rummaged through the cabinet for spices.

"Hi Iruka. Here's something for you." Kurenai grinned and handed a bag over to the tanned man. Iruka raised an eyebrow as he walked over.

"What's that?" He unwrapped the bag and peered inside.

"It's the mask for the party tomorrow." Kurenai smiled. "It's a basic accessory for masquerade balls."

Iruka laughed. "Right. I almost forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me."

Kurenai winked and eyed the chunin for a moment before nudging him lightly. "Na, Iruka. Good for you eh?"

Iruka stared at the kunoichi blankly, clearly not having an idea of what she was talking about. He stared for a few more seconds before the lady rolled her eyes and gave him a friendly punch.

"We heard about it at the marketplace. That you and Kakashi are going to the ball together."

Iruka's eyes widened and wondered where they got the idea from until he remembered Kakashi's 'confession' from earlier on. He groaned and looked at Kurenai exasperatedly as a blush coloured his cheeks.

"No, we are not, Kurenai."

Kurenai's grin spread even wider and Iruka knew that she did not believe what he had just said. He spoke before Kurenai had a chance to answer.

"No, seriously, we are not. Kakashi only said that I'm his date because we are trying to get Gai off my back." It was Iruka's turn to roll his eyes. Kurenai eyed him for a while before she sigh.

"And I was happy for a moment that you finally found someone to go to the ball with you." She paused for a moment. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"What?"

"I mean, aren't you going to do something about what he said? For heaven's sake, he said it in public. He should at least take some responsibility for it."

"Kurenai, there's no way he will go for the ball."

"Have you even ask?"

"Do I have to? Have you ever seen him attend any social functions ever since you knew him?"

Kurenai shrugged. "Maybe he will make it an exception this time. Iruka, you've held back long enough. When are you even going to make a move?"

Iruka blushed at the statement and turned away. "Let's just drop the subject, Kurenai. I don't want to talk about it."

Kurenai just sighed and turned in the direction where Asuma and Kakashi were.

* * *


	9. Chapter 9: Dinner

Chapter 9 - Dinner

Kurenai and Iruka came out of the kitchen a while later and found Kakashi reading his book and Asuma standing by the balcony smoking. Both men glanced up when they heard the footsteps that approached them.

"Are you done?" Asuma looked at his girlfriend who gave him a brief nod.

"We've got to get going. We will see you tomorrow. Remember to dress formal." Kurenai smiled at the chunin and turned to Kakashi. "See you, Kakashi."

Kakashi nodded and watched as the couple headed out of the door.

* * *

"What's that?" Kakashi pointed to the bag on the other end of the kitchen table. Iruka looked up from his dinner and turned to the direction the jounin was gesturing.

"Oh, that's the mask for the ball tomorrow. Kurenai got it for me." Iruka chuckled.

"Mask?"

"Yes. It's a tradition to wear a mask to the masquerade ball. And it also adds on a sense of mystery, since you do not really know who you are interacting with." Iruka walked over and pulled out the mask from the bag. Kakashi noted that it was a half mask covering from the nose up, simple yet elegant. It was copper in colour, with swirls decorating the side and a feather curved nicely upwards on the right hand side.

"How do you wear that?" Kakashi asked as he dug into his dinner.

"Just tie it around your head." Iruka placed the mask back into the bag and went back to his dinner. "The purpose of the half mask is just so you can eat and drink with ease. But it doesn't really provide that much of secrecy. People will recognize you after a while."

Kakashi shrugged. He wasn't really interested in masks other than his own. "I don't see any problems with mine. I still keep my secrecy."

Iruka laughed. It was a cheerful, tinkling sound which Kakashi had gotten used to over the last few days. "That's because no one has ever seen your face before, Kakashi-sensei." Kakashi smiled as he ate his dinner. He was beginning to feel that this was one of the best dinners that he ever had.

* * *

That night, as Iruka slept, Kakashi walked around the apartment, checking every latch and lock to make sure it is secured. He went into the room and watched the innocent sleeping face bathed in the moonlight. After ensuring everything was in place and that there were no unfamiliar chakras around, he retired to the couch.

As sleep slowly took over him, he subconsciously wondered if he should fulfill what he had told Gai earlier that afternoon.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10: The Masquerade Ball

Chapter 10 - The Masquerade Ball

Iruka adjusted his attire. Finally, it was the night of the Masquerade Ball. When he was satisfied that everything was in place, he grabbed his mask from the dressing table and waited for the copy nin to turn up.

When he stepped out of the bedroom, he heard a knock on the door. He headed over and pulled the door open.

"Iruka-sensei, are you ready to go?" Iruka smiled at the nin leaning lazily on the wall beside his door. Kakashi was out of his jounin uniform and was wearing a black shirt over pants. Even without his hitai-ate, his silver crown fell neatly in place, part of it covering his left eye. Iruka bit his bottom lip as he took in the sight and stepped out of the door.

"Yes. Let's go."

Kakashi almost gaped when the teacher was in full view. Iruka was dressed in a simple tux and his hair was untied. The jounin felt his breath hitch a little. He winked at the teacher. "You are looking pretty good in that outfit. I wouldn't be surprised if you are being serenaded tonight."

Iruka chuckled and blushed as he walked down the stairs with Kakashi following closely.

* * *

The sun was setting and the breeze that blew across ruffled Iruka's untied hair. The streets weren't as crowded like usual, most probably from the fact that most of the shinobis are preparing for the ball.

"Kakashi-sensei, I heard from Asuma-san that you will be staying at the party. Are you sure you don't want to get a mask?" Iruka cocked his head and looked at the taller man.

"Well, I don't have to worry about that. I have one already." Kakashi smiled and pointed to his own mask that covered his face. Iruka sighed exasperatedly.

"That mask is not meant for masquerade balls, Kakashi-sensei."

"It doesn't matter. I won't be there for long anyway. I promised Asuma that I will only stay for half an hour." Kakashi shrugged. Iruka felt his heart sank a little. He was hoping that the jounin would stay till the end of the party.

The two continued their walk in silence until they reached the town hall where the Masquerade Ball was to be held. They showed their ID tags to the person at the registration table and when the man nodded his approval, the two ninjas headed towards the door, walking side by side.

Almost everyone turned to look at them when they entered the room. Some were looking at them enviously, others scowling. Kakashi returned the courtesy and gave them a glare which sent many of them looking away almost immediately.

Iruka tugged gently at Kakashi's sleeve and signaled for him to follow. The older man trailed after the younger man, puzzled as to what he was up to.

Iruka turned into a dark corner and smiled at Kakashi.

"Thank you for all your help, Kakashi-sensei. I got to the ball in one piece."

Kakashi smiled. "Well, I guess the mission's over then."

"Erm… Well, I don't really mean that…. I mean… Oh well… You know…. I was hoping that…." Kakashi watched in amusement as the school teacher fumbled and stumbled over his words. Finally, Iruka let out an exasperated sigh.

"Never mind. What I meant to say was that, do you think we can continue to be friends after this?" Iruka glanced up at the man, a little too hopefully.

Kakashi froze. He hadn't expected that question. In all his years, he had never actually let people cross the line of acquaintances, with the only exception of Asuma and a few others from ANBU. But he had to admit that he enjoyed being around the teacher and it was a totally different feeling from what he gets from the few friends he had. He made a quick decision. _'Wouldn't hurt to try.'_

Iruka eyed the tensed jounin cautiously and wondered if he had asked something that he shouldn't. But he could not help it. Something within him made him want to stay with the jounin. He did not want their contacts to end with the mission. As he was getting tensed himself, he saw the jounin finally relaxing a little.

"Sure, Iruka-sensei. It would be nice to have a friend like you."

Iruka smiled, feeling his heartbeat slow down to a normal pace. Without thinking, he reached forward and gave the jounin a hug.

Kakashi froze a second time. He felt butterflies in his stomach and the constriction in his throat as he took in the scent of the person before him. He understood that the gesture was just a hug between friends. But somehow, he just couldn't get his mind to work when the chunin is in such close proximity with him. Finally, Iruka drew back and blushed, rubbing the scar on his nose nervously when he realized what he had done.

"Thank you again, Kakashi-sensei. I hope you enjoy your night." With that, Iruka took his mask and tied it around his face, before walking out to look for his friends. Kakashi stood rooted for a few minutes before collecting back his senses and trotted off to look for Asuma.

* * *


	11. Chapter 11: Tradition

Chapter 10 – Tradition

Kakashi stood in a corner, drinking his sake as he watched the room start to fill up with people. He saw Naruto and Sasuke walking in together, scowling at each other through their masks. But the subtle touches didn't go unnoticed by Kakashi. He chuckled and made a mental note to tease the two about it when he got the chance.

He watched as the other genins started coming in small groups, joining their friends and teasing each other. He noted that Iruka was in the other corner of the room, with Kotetsu and Izumo and they seemed to be exchanging some jokes. He began to wonder what it would be like to be friends with Iruka. Will they be able to joke and laugh like Iruka does with all his other friends or will their conversations just settle in solemn, serious topics like the village and its future?

A tap on his shoulder brought him out from his musings. He turned and stared blankly at the man beside him.

"You are late, Asuma."

"I'm hearing that from someone who has punctuality issues for almost every single event or meeting." Asuma snickered.

Kakashi snorted. "I'm leaving in another five minutes."

"Why is that?"

"I said I will only be here for half an hour."

"No. I said you will be here for half an hour to catch up with me. And I've just arrived. So your time starts now."

Kakashi growled at the smug man beside him. Asuma just grinned and grabbed a drink from the server.

"Where's Kurenai?" Kakashi decided to give up and went back to his drink.

"She's talking to Anko. That woman is practically complaining about how you snatch Iruka away from her." Kakashi raised an eyebrow as Asuma laughed. "But she doesn't seem so sore about it now. She's still enjoying herself."

"Correction. I didn't take Iruka away from her. But glad that she's enjoying herself. By the way, where's your mask? Isn't it a tradition to wear it?" Kakashi took another swipe from his glass as he noted his friend's bare face.

"Can't be bothered with it. It hinders with my smoking." Asuma grimaced and Kakashi shook his head.

"So, what have you been busy lately?" Asuma asked, almost casually. "I heard you found out something about that organization."

Kakashi nodded briefly. "I did. Jiraiya-sama set out to confirm it. But he's back though." Kakashi pointed to the sannin who had just entered the hall and being bothered by Naruto.

"Nothing troublesome, I hope."

"No, not at the moment, I guess."

"What about Iruka?" Kakashi jerked at the name and turned to his friend.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, are you seriously going to leave him alone tonight? He's going to be in trouble once you are gone."

"He won't be in any trouble. Godaime is here. Jiraiya-sama is here. No one would dare to try anything funny. And besides, my mission is over."

"Oh yes, he will be." Both heads turned at the additional voice beside them. Raidou shrugged as he eyed the two men.

"I don't mean to overhear your conversation. But I needed to get a drink." The scarred man pointed to the counter a distance away from where Asuma was standing. Kakashi nodded briefly.

"What do you mean, Raidou?" Asuma gave the man a fleeting look before turning his focus to his glass.

Kakashi eyed the other man suspiciously. Raidou raised his hand to ward off the glare. "I'm not trying to suggest anything. What I wanted to say is, if you hadn't realized, that bunch of chunins and jounins are eyeing Iruka like a hawk the entire night."

"And?"

"I don't know. I just got a feeling that they are waiting for you to leave, or they get drunk enough to feign ignorance of what they are doing, whichever comes first." With that, Raidou grabbed his drink and walked off to join Genma.

Kakashi watched the retreating jounin and considered on the possibility of staying the entire night.

* * *

Kakashi sat on the rooftop, deep in thoughts. Below him, he could hear the music and laughter from the ball. He stared up into the starlit sky, as if it could provide him an answer of some sort. He vaguely heard someone slipped in through the shadows and landed softly beside him.

"So what about it?" Kakashi could hear the hidden smirk in the voice.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it's already past half an hour. You could leave if you want to. After all, you have already fulfilled your promised to me." Asuma lit the cigarette in his mouth. "But are you really going to leave Iruka alone?"

"I've said that before, Asuma. He isn't alone. There are so many people around. And the genin teams are there too. They will be good company for the night."

"You know what I mean, Kakashi. I don't think either of us doubted Raidou's words. They may really try something crazy.

"Kurenai is there. And so are you."

"I don't have time to do babysitting for you, Kakashi. And yes, I'm sure Kurenai would protect him. But that is provided she is still sober enough by the end of it all to fend off a bunch of drunken shinobis. You know how Anko loves to get her to drink."

Kakashi snorted but didn't answer to that. Silence fell over the two men.

"Kakashi." Asuma finally broke the silence, his gaze following Kakashi's to the sky.

"What?"

"Have you ever heard about the tradition of the Masquerade Ball?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Tsunade-sama had mentioned it to me before. But I can't really remember what she said."

Asuma chuckled. "Actually, I'm not too sure myself. But I've heard Kurenai said it before that it's an old saying. From the very first Masquerade Ball that was held in Konoha until now, this magic had never failed before. If a couple attend the ball together and leave together after the party ends at midnight, this couple is bound by fate and are destined to be together."

"And you believed it?"

"I guess I do. There's nothing wrong with a little superstition if it's not going to affect your life. After all, Kurenai and I did the rituals last year and we ended up together." Asuma grinned a little too widely.

"We are shinobis, Asuma."

"There's nothing wrong with a little love."

"Shinobis are not allowed to have emotions."

"Loosen up a little, Kakashi. We are all humans. Which human doesn't have emotions?"

Kakashi was silent. Asuma sighed. "You know what, Kakashi; I think it's time you let go of what's holding you back."

"I can't."

"It's not you can't. It's just that you won't. Kakashi, you know yourself better than I do. And you know exactly how you feel towards Iruka. Even if you don't say it, your actions have spoken for itself and it's so painfully obvious. At least it is to me." Asuma sighed exasperatedly. "I think you've heard my preaching more than enough times. If you are going to hide what you have already shown, then be my guest and continue distancing yourself."

Asuma stood up and walked away. Then he haltered in his steps and turned around.

"Kakashi."

The silver-haired man turned from the sky and looked at his friend with a calm grey eye barely showing any emotions.

"Give yourself a chance. Do you think you can believe in the magic of the masquerade ball just this once?"

Kakashi watched as his friend jumped off the roof. He did not know the answer to the question. For the first time in his life, he felt unsure of what to do. He sat on the rooftop and wondered if, just for this once, he could actually allow himself to step out of his barrier and accept what is being thrown at him.

* * *


	12. Chapter 12: The Last Dance

A/N: I'm trying to finish up the last chapter. Hopefully, I will be able to upload it tomorrrow. Hope you guys will enjoy reading!

Chapter 12 – The Last Dance

It was getting late into the night. Asuma leaned against the counter, drinking with a tipsy Kurenai and a rowdy Anko who was chatting incessantly.

He watched the couples dancing on the dance floor and the genins who were gathered in a corner who could drink nothing but juices and soft drinks. Tsunade was enjoying herself thoroughly with the endless supply of alcohol and Shizune was having a hard time keeping her under control, especially with Jiraiya egging her on with the drinks. Most of the shinobi of drinking age were already drunk.

Asuma shifted his gaze and looked at Iruka, still with his two friends, leaning against the bar counter. Some shinobi tried to flirt with him. But he just pushed them away. He noted that the chunin looked a little too tipsy for his own good.

Iruka turned his head slightly and saw Asuma looking at him. He waved a small greeting and went back to gulping down the sake he held in his hand. He noticed that Kakashi had already left and felt a little disappointed. But well, who was he to ask the jounin to stay?

Iruka turned to get another glass of sake from the bar. He grinned when a drunken Kotetsu started fondling Izumo and the latter looked like he was in a fit, as he tried to stop his lover from putting up a show in public. As he turned back, he almost crashed into Genma, who was leaning close to him. Beside him, Raidou looked a little worried.

"So Iruka, where's your beau?"

Iruka gulped when he realized that Genma was not the only one around. Behind him, a group of jounins and chunins were grinning at him lewdly.

"You really took us in for a ride, didn't you, Iruka? Kakashi wasn't even your date for the ball." Another man spoke. Iruka recognized him as the jounin who had burst into his room two nights before.

"Shut up, Soutarou. I haven't finished what I want to say." Genma snapped and turned back to Iruka. "Well, it doesn't matter that much to me, Iruka. I've got Raidou as a date for tonight. But whatever it is, you've got to be punished for lying to me." He feigned a pained look.

Iruka smiled nervously as Genma handed him a concoction of alcohol. "Don't have to finish it. Just drink half of it. I don't want you to collapse before the night ends." Genma slurred, alcohol clearly fogging his mind.

Iruka face contorted at the sight of the liquid in front of him. He was sure he didn't really want to try that. But whatever it is, he can't have Genma staring at him like that for the rest of the night. Swallowing hard, he closed his eyes and lifted the glass to his lips.

Just as he was about to take a sip of the horrible liquid, a hand stopped him. He opened his eyes and to his relief, saw Kakashi standing beside him, taking the glass out of his hand and glaring at the group of shinobi.

"That's enough, Genma." The copy nin's voice was hard and cold.

Genma gave a silly grin and turned away. The group of shinobi gathering around began to disperse as well.

"I thought you had left?" Iruka looked at him inquisitively as he tried to clear his head of the alcohol.

Kakashi looked nonchalant. "Not exactly. I just went out to get a breather."

"You stayed longer than half an hour." Iruka grinned, trying to steady himself.

"Yeah. Sometimes it's necessary to do extra to ensure that your mission is a success. If you are harassed now, I would have failed all the same." Kakashi reached out and held the stumbling younger man. Iruka gave him a sheepish grin.

The two stood in silence before Iruka turned to the bar counter to get a drink for the older man. Kakashi took it with a smile and shifted his gaze to the dance floor. They enjoyed the silent companionship for a while before Iruka glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Half an hour more to midnight. I'm surprised you stayed through it all." Iruka teased as he glanced at the man beside him. Kakashi chuckled.

"Can't really say I stayed through it all. I spent most of the time on the rooftop tonight."

"Well, but your presence was felt. And you got me out of that fix. I can't imagine having to drink that strange concoction from Genma. Who knows what they actually added inside?" Iruka shuddered. Kakashi laughed.

"Can't be that bad. I'm sure it's just a mixture of hard liquor. But it will be enough to knock anyone out."

They stood in silence for another few minutes when the announcer declared that it was time for the last dance before the party ends.

"Good evening, everyone. I'm sure you have enjoyed yourself for tonight. Coming up is the last dance for the night. So, grab a partner and come down to the dance floor to get yourself drawn in the magic of the Masquerade Ball."

Kakashi watched as everyone tried to find a partner for the dance. He looked at the man beside him, who was looking at the dance floor wistfully.

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Hm?"

"Would you like…" Kakashi hesitated a little.

"A dance?" Iruka smiled.

"Yeah… Well, I mean…." Before Kakashi could finish his sentence, Iruka grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the dance floor.

"Let's go."

Iruka led the taller man to a corner on the dance floor and wrapped his arms around his neck. Kakashi wavered for a minute before he gingerly placed his hands on the chunin's hips. He leaned in closer, taking in the scent from Iruka's cascaded hair. He felt himself being drawn in by the chunin and for the first time, felt himself relaxed in the company of another person.

The two were silent as they swayed to the slow, soothing music. As the music was coming to an end, Kakashi pulled back a little and looked at the face, half-covered by the copper-coloured mask.

"Iruka-sensei, you said that the purpose for the half-mask is to make eating and drinking easier."

Iruka looked at the other man uncertainly and nodded slowly. Kakashi leaned in closer.

"Do you know there's another purpose why people create half-masks?" Iruka's breath hitched when Kakashi tugged his mask down and brushed his lips across the younger man's. "It's to make kissing easier too."

Iruka felt himself tensed when the older man captured his lips in a slow, gentle kiss. Then he relaxed. Kakashi was pleasantly surprised when Iruka returned the kiss with the same affections. Kakashi slipped his tongue into the warm cavern and took his time tasting the chunin, while the music finished up its last stanza. Iruka tasted of alcohol, most probably from all those drinks he had taken earlier. But he also tasted of sunshine and it made Kakashi warm.

The silver-haired jounin pulled away when the music started to fade away. Iruka blinked for a moment, trying to get back his senses. Then he looked up at the man and giggled, as a blush tainted the visible part of his cheeks.

"That was nice."

"Yes, that was." Kakashi leaned forward and placed another chaste kiss on Iruka's lips before stepping away. "Thanks for letting me take you on this dance. I've enjoyed it."

Iruka watched as the copy nin walked away, thrilled and disappointed at the same time. Thrilled that Kakashi may actually be interested in him, but disappointed that the man didn't stay to leave together with him.

Then he felt a tap on his shoulders. He turned and saw a smirking Asuma looking at him.

"You know what, Iruka? If I were you, I would go after him now. It wasn't easy for him to come out from his barrier and take the first step. And now that he has, the rest is up to you to give him the assurance that he needs."

Iruka looked at the bearded man, confused for a minute, before a smile slowly formed on his face.

"Thanks, Asuma-san."

Asuma nodded and pushed the younger man. "Now go, before he leaves the hall."

Iruka grinned and took off, pushing through the masses of people. He wasn't going to let the magic of the Masquerade Ball pass him by this year.

* * *


	13. Chapter 13: I Believe

A/N: This is the last chapter. I'm starting work on a sequel to this. Thanks to all those who have reviewed. This chapter is dedicated to you.

Chapter 13 – I Believe

Kakashi shoved his hands into his pocket as he walked towards the exit. It was five minutes to midnight and many people were grabbing their last drinks. The hall was filled with drunken and gibberish shinobis.

He was still a little dazed from the kiss earlier. He did not know what prompted him to take action. But when he took in the scent of the younger man, he had felt the need to taste him. He just hoped he hadn't offended the chunin by leaving so abruptly.

Just as he managed to weave through the crowd and was about to head for the door, he felt a grip on his arm. He turned, with a frown on his face before he actually realized who it was.

A grin greeted him. He felt almost dizzy and he was sure it wasn't the alcohol. Iruka stepped up beside him quietly and pulled him to a corner of the room. There, the brown-haired man cocked his head to one side, almost in amusement before undoing his mask and let it fall onto the floor between them. Kakashi found himself staring at the brown orbs that seem to swim with emotions.

"You know what, it's so unfair." Iruka smiled softly, his cheeks dusted with a tinge of red, his hair falling in place over his shoulders. "These few days and even tonight, you are always the one who made sure everything went right for me."

Kakashi shivered slightly when Iruka leaned in closer and nuzzled his neck. "Kakashi." Somewhere along the way, Iruka had dropped off all honorifics. "It's time I return the favour."

Iruka drew back a little to stare at the single grey eye. He reached out and caress the masked cheek before tugging down Kakashi's mask. Then, he wrapped his arms around the copy nin's neck and slowly, he pressed his lips against the other man's.

Kakashi eyes widened at the sudden affection. Recovering quickly, before he hesitantly wrapped his arms around the chunin's waist and pulled him closer; pressing his lips insistently back on the other's. He could almost feel Iruka's smirk in the kiss as he relaxed into the kiss and trailed his tongue along those soft lips. The kiss deepens as they fought for dominance, releasing all their pent-up emotions.

After a while, Kakashi pulled away, panting for air. Iruka took in deep breaths as he buried his face in the jounin's shoulder, trying to steady himself. They stayed in each other's embrace, just reveling in the warmth, until the clock chimed, signaling the end of the party and the start of a new day.

Iruka looked up, faced flushed and slightly panting. "It's twelve midnight."

Kakashi nodded. "Let's go home." He stepped away and started towards the door.

Iruka watched the retreating back, unsure of his next action, until Kakashi turned to look at him.

"Come on, Iruka." Iruka blinked at the outstretched hand, inviting him to leave together. There was no hiding now. He smiled and strode briskly up to the older man and took the offered hand. Slender fingers entwined with strong ones as Iruka matched the pace of the jounin and headed towards the exit.

"Kakashi?" Iruka leaned in closer.

"Hm?"

"Do you believe in the magic of the masquerade ball?"

Kakashi thought for a moment before he smiled and tighten his hold on the hand in his, as they stepped out of the door and headed down the streets.

"Yes, I think I do."

* * *


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